GH 11 Midterm - French Revolution

Enlightenment Thinkers

Rejected Authority and upheld the freedom of individuals to think for themselves. They usually had ideas and reasons of the scientific revolution to use towards problems in society such as the government - and how life should run

Age of Enlightenment

Age of reason or Light - Between 1600-1700s. Lots of development in art, politics, and philosophy

The philosophers in France

The Philosophes. Was never the second, noble class, but were wealthy members of the middle class. Championed the basic rights of man

Divine right of kings

The idea that God chose a country’s king - therefore a very hierarchical belief. You had to be born into nobility which wasn’t fair.

Deists - Enlightenment Thinkers with Religion

Focused more on humans finding belief in themselves. Believed in an all powerful deity or God. - Called themselves Deists

Thomas Hobbes

Believed that all humans were Evil

-Made Leviathan

-Believed that human nature is characterized by fear and violence and self interest

-Proposed the idea of a social contract - important for future philosophes

John Locke

Believed that humans could be rational

-Made the Two Treatises of Government

-Rejected devine right of kings

-And believed that the ONLY reason for govt was to protect life, liberty, and property - helped influence the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence

Baron de Montesquieu

Believed that the government should have power divided in Branches

-Made The Spirit of the Laws - which criticized absolute monarchy

Jean Rousseau

Believed that people were innately good but corrupted by society

-Made the social contract

-Believed that a society should have members follow a general will and believed only in the power of the people -NO Representative democracy, only direct democracy where EVERYONE has more power.

Voltaire

Believed in Freedom of Expression

Made Candide

“I do not agree with what you have to say, but Ill defend to the death your RIGHT to say it.”

Diderot

Made the Encyclopedie and therefore put all the ideas together into a convenient work of combined texts

Revolutions

A revolution is a major and sudden violent alteration in government and in related associations and structures

Stages of Revolution

1. Preliminary Stage- Old Order

2. First Stage- Moderate Regime

3. Crisis Stage- Radical Regime

4. Recovery Stage- Thermidorian Reaction

1. Old Order

Economically Weak

Politically Weak

Intellectuals speak out

Class antagonism

2. Moderate Regime

Protests increase

Government cannot repress rebellion

People begin to make their own power

Dual Sovereignty -there are two different parties

3. Radical Regime

Radicals finally have taken control and there is war

-Centralization of power in a revolutionary council dominated by a strong leader

-Terror

4. Thermidorian Reaction

Citizens realize that it cannot always be like this.

-Slow, uneven return to quieter times, first recovering from the fever of a revolution

-Rule by a tyrant, but radicals are repressed and moderates gain amnesty

Stages of Revolution for French Society

Preliminary - No pride, no money, no political strength, enlightenment thinkers on the rise

First Stage - Storming of the Bastille held by the National Assembly - and new ideas coming up

Crisis Stage- King has no power - transfer of power

Recovery Stage- Death of Robespierre and directory is established. Napoleon arises.

Revolution and its connections to nationalism

Revolutions based in similar ideas of us vs them - the people of a nation-state become aware of their differences from the ruling class, gain a sense of belonging, and then fight against them

Three Estates in France

1st -Clergy

2nd - Nobility

3rd- Main population regular people

• paid bulk of taxes

• contained Bourgeoises (rich and educated Frenchmen without titles)

• Sans culottes (Break even people)

• Peasants

Order of Government in France

Ancient Regime

Estates General

National Assembly

National Convention

Committee of Public Safety

Directory

Consult of the Empire

Emperor of France

Causes of the French Revolution

Autocracy - absolute power by a leader

Enlightenment

American Revolution

Debts

Weather meant that revenue from peasants plummetted

Estates General

The government which was basically useless that King Louis XVI had to call up as tensions were rising -

• Organized in which each estate had one vote- which made it impossible for third estate to have any say

• Jacques Necker is the Director of Finances, and advises the king to call the estates general so that everyone can come together

• Representatives of each estate were asked to produce CAHIERS which are essays on the grievances

• The Third Estate called for EQUALITY and a set Constitution

• However, they would meet again in June of 1789 to talk about their cahiers and the third estate would be outvoted

Third Estates General reaction to being outvoted

Being outvoted yet again, the third estate began discussing about forming a NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. They identified with this group during June

Louis XVI’s reaction to the formation of NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Decided to lock out the National Assemply out of the Salles des Etates which was viewed as an attempt to silence them

Tennis Courth Oath

In reaction to being locked out, the National Assembly decided to meet in a Tennis Court and the members swore an oath of solidarity - aka a revolutionary act

• Asserted that soverignty and political authority should fall to the people and ELECTED representatives - NOT monarch

• The OFFICIAL Tennis Court Oath Document was significant as it was an official statement that people were in opposition to Louis XVI - people would choose soverignty to the people

Sovereignty

supreme power or authority to rule themselves

Louis XVI reaction to Tennis Court Oath

Gave the national assembly the right to vote by head at the end of June 1789 in hopes that it will dissolve. However, the national assembly was just getting started and had no incentive to fold into the King’s needs. The King in response forced the First and Second estates to write a constitution and people saw this as a sign of weakness and began to revolt

The Bastille Prison

This was a prison used for political activists and enlightenment thinkers -showing the oppression and strictness of freedom of speech. The monarch could improson without cause. It was a waste of resources as only 7 people were in the fortress. Kinda stupid.

Storming of the Bastille

The immediate cause of this was when Louis fires the Jaques Necker, the director of finances that helped the people. Louis also surrounded Paris with troops while he was chilling in Versaille.

On July 14th, 1789 fear took over and people began to riot. They stormed the bastille in hope to find weapons and ammo to supply the national assembly. They overwhelmed the guards and returned to the streets of paris to protest.

This was a turning point as a purely political movement wwas now something much bigger

Fall of the Bastille

King was no longer in a position of authority, he was now just a regular citizen. Riots broke all around paris and this marked the transfer of power from the King to the national assembly

-Mass of nobles fleeing the country

-Cities of France copied this and took control of local bastilles

-Led to the GREAT FEAR

-END OF FEUDALISM

The great fear

rebellion spread to everywhere even the countryside. Since peasants were afraid that the nobles would fight back, they decided to fight everybody as well as burn the papers that bound peasants to pay feudal dues

Womens March

Since the price of bread was too high, many people marched to the King’s Palace in Versaille.

The significance of this was that they got King Louis XVI who was hiding to return to Paris.

MARKS THE RADICAL REGIME - CRISIS STAGE

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

Drafted in 1789 by the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

document highlighted how it was Frances first steps to a constitution

• written largly by Marquis de Lafayette- who used to be third estate but came down

• Used ideas of separation of powers and social contract from Montequieu and Rousseau respectively

The Declation is brought into law by the King (cuz he’s a pussy) in October of 1789

• Equality

• Inalienable Rights

• Freedom of Relgion and speech

• Sovereignty resides in nation

Rise of Political Clubs

Moderate vs Radical

Jacobins were radical and very left wing - under Robespierre

Political Clubs

came out of salons, important source of ideas for pressuring reform on an already revolutionary government

Left - Radical (Peasents, Jacoblins, Working Class)
Right - Moderate (happy with what they have alr - richer Bougoise)

Louis XVI trying to flee

Decided to try and flee France to Varrennes but failed. This lead to the escalation of the crisis as it showed how the Louis did not want to do anything.

Efforts of the National Assembly when they came into power

Pre:

Tennis Court Oath

Storming of Bastille

Declaration of Rights and Men

Post:

Abolished Feudalism

Equality of Men

Self Determination

Tried to fight other nations and share their ideas of overthrowing Monarches.

-Went to war with Austria and Prussia as they were threatening them to not harm King Louis

National Assembly to National Convention (SIGNIFICANT)

Significance: After finally abolishing the monarchy, they declared France a Repuiblic on September 20, 1792. They renamed themsleves to the National Convention

End of the Bourbon Monarchy

National Convention kills Louis VXI, although the vote was close, there were just a couple more radicals.

Reign of Terror after the death of Louis XVI

The years following the death of Louis XVI marked the reign of terror. The new government was called the committee of public safety

Committee of Public Safety

The new government whose values were to sweep away old irrational traditions and remake the world through enlightenment principles.

Robespierre

The radical leader of the Jacobins and very anti monarchist. Killed his closest ally, Georges Danton since he had no one to trust. Very radical and paranoid person.

De Facto vs De Jure

In practice not actually vs, legally/

Reactions to the Reign of Terror

Soon people started shifting to more moderate rather than radical, and believed that robespierre was too much. So he died.

Government after the Reign of Terror

The bourgeoisie - rich third estate became the most powerful group in France and wrote another constitution.

The Directory and its councils of 500 and elders (250)

This was the new constitution the bourgeoise wrote. The new government was known as the directory and it was 5 directors. It was a flop and they relied on the army to control the population

Napoleon to step up

Because the directory was so weak cuz no one respected it, Napoleon stepped in for power.

Coup D’etat

Military overtake illegal attempt by a millitary organization

Sovereignty

Supreme Power or authority

-People having sovereignty

-Autocracy, ruled by one

Absolutism

The political practice of unlimited centralized authority by a monarch - basically autocracy

Art - Types

Baroque and Rococo vs Neoclassicism

Baroque and Rococo were pre revolution are very flashy w reality and embraced by monarches cuz it was a facade

Neoclassicism was during and post revolution because it shows more individuality and reflection of public values

art helped create a collective consciousness

Aristocratic

Regards to a noble family

Art during the Reign of Terror

Because art was aristocratic, many artists viewed as supporters of ancien regime so they were thrown into prison during the tryanny

Art supporting the revolution

However, the art in the French Revolution are perceived as historical testimonies since sovereignty to the people allowed for more self interest.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Born in Corsica and became a military strategist - very successful

France after reign of terror

Maintained a aggressive foreign policy - how a country maintains and deals with international relationships

Lots of victories, strong army by Napoleon

After the reign of terror, remaining jacobins want to throw another rebellion against the still kinda bad directory. A member of the directory , Emmanuel Sieyes was going to plan a coup, but he didn’t know that napoleon was also gonna throw one at the same time.

Since napoleon was more popular from his military achievements, he is very persuasive and he snitches on the jacobins to the directory that they were gonna host a coup. The directory, like the cowards they are fled and resigned ending the directory. There he fights with the remaining council of 500. The councils are adjourned (stopped) for three months, and Napoleon is the PROVISIONAL leader = CONSUL of FRANCE

Napoleons Consul Term

They decided to draft a very obscure constituion that allowed napoleon to have lots of power. This gave him the power to RULE BY DECREE (allowing quick unchallenged issuance of law) and now the consulate was authoritarian autocratic and centralized, which kinda just ruined everything that France worked for. He then became an emperor

Authoritarian

Characterized by STRONG central power to preserve status quo

Napoleons impact

Established a new aristocracy and worked to create a expansive French empire accross the CONTINENT.

-Constantly at war with other nations

• Successfully:

  • Conquered Spain

  • Italy

  • Poland

  • Parts of what is Germany and Belgium

• Failed

  • Deserted army at Egypt

  • Guerilla factions in Spain

  • Friendly relationship with Russia

  • Waterloo (UK)

Major Impacts of Napoleon

1. Napoleonic Code

   1. abolished/ lessened hereditary privledges and centralized government, replaced with merit rather than social class

2. Revolutionary Legislation

   1. Rule of law is the basis of the legal system

   2. Challenged aristocracy although he literally has one

3. Sparked new nationalist sentiments in pain and Poland

   1. Lots of new territory

Napoleons Defeat:

Faced opposition from the SEVENTH COALITION and all his enemies came to battle him at Waterloo, where he lost and ended all his power in Europe. Exiled to St. Helena

Europes Reaction to Napoleon

European nations did not like the revolutionary ideas like liberalism and nationalism. They wanted to restore the traditional old values.

Congress of Vienna

Russia, Austria, Prussia, Britain, and De Napoleonized France were part of it.

The members of the congress were all conservative and they met in 1815

known as THE AGE OF REACTION because European nations react against the impacts of the French revolution

Liberalism

A philosophy supporting individual freedom and political change. This is the belief that revolutionaries had at the time

Laizzez faire

Hands off approach to governing- government was just to preserve order.

Part of liberalism

Conservatism

Philosophy that believes in stability. The general population is not to be trusted

Aristocracy is the only group fit to govern

Two types of conservatism

Evolutionary - believed in some change

Reactionary - opposed to all change

Goals of the Congress of Vienna

1. Prevent acts of future aggression - surround France with strong controls

2. Restore balance of power - redraw boundaries so no country can dominate Europe

3. Turn back the clock - return europes royal families to thrones and suppress future liberal revolutions. Countries that fought France get compensation

Results from the Congress of Vienna

1. Territory changes were made - however most didnt know about this land and nationalist ties were ignored

2. Ideas of sovereignty, democracy, and self government were rejected

3. However, people of France already had this innate idea of liberalism, and the new king Louis XVIII could not bring back feudalism or remove the constitution.

4. Religous toleration was guarateed

5. Divine right of kings was considered no more.

Successes from the Congress

Alliances from the Congress - QUADRUPLE ALLIANCE of Austria, Engliand, Prussia, and Russia + France later to pledged to put down democratic or nationalistic revolts

International Peace - no general war in Europe until 100 years later

No country was left with a grudge - and allowed people to pursue liberal ideas but still peaceful

Nationalism was still spreading though

There were revolts for unifications or greater autonomy

Concert of Europe

Group of leading nations which periodically met to discuss issues with stability